Walking where Shakespeare ... was poaching?
I haven't told you yet ... on Saturday we got to visit the grounds and home at Charlecote Park, built in 1558 by Sir Thomas Lucy.
The Lucy family has owned the land since 1247 and, believe it or not, the manor is still the home to the Lucy family. They live in a part of this building the public doesn't tour.
Such history to the place, including the original Sir Lucy (not Thomas) was 14 when he married a 12-year old bride. That how it was done in the Tudor times, the tour guide told us, because you'd be dead by 30 or 40.
We loved going through the manor ...
Isn't The Mister a champ about posing for photos?
The kitchen (photos below) was fascinating! (That's a sentence I've never written.) A sweet cook in period costume showed just Earl and me all about the stoves, ovens, pots, pans, places for cleaning fowl and fish, etc. No one else who passed through the kitchen was very interested but we were. She also gave us a piece of her candy she had just made. Now that's what kitchens are for!
We loved the outside of the manor, starting with the terrace on the back of the house, which sits on the River Avon. My smile is because I'm in Shakespeare land. Look at me standing by the River Avon!
We sat on a bench on the terrace by the river and read for awhile, to rest our legs.
While outside, we watched for deer because the house has its own deer park. Darn! We saw no deer but had seen this sign when we came in.
Apparently Will Shakespeare found deer because legend has it he was caught poaching on Sir Lucy's land and even caricatured Sir Lucy as Justice Shallow in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
I forgive you, darling William.
We took the gatehouse tour (below). First picture is the gatehouse itself. The second picture is The Mister and me on top of the gatehouse, with the manor behind us.
BTW, please ignore the horrible blue dot on each of our jackets. You were supposed to wear those stickers but I had the good sense to take MINE off for photos. The Mister thought that would eventually make the sticker fall off (which mine did).
There were meadows of sheep on the land and we wandered around to see them -- but aren't sheep supposed to be all white?
Apparently these are Jacob sheep. But their lambs were adorable!
Lastly, here's a photo (below) that I didn't take but I want to show you the back of the Charlecote manor, a view from across the Avon.
A grand time on The Grand Tour! Thanks for reading and looking at my photos.
Such history to the place, including the original Sir Lucy (not Thomas) was 14 when he married a 12-year old bride. That how it was done in the Tudor times, the tour guide told us, because you'd be dead by 30 or 40.
We loved going through the manor ...
Isn't The Mister a champ about posing for photos?
The kitchen (photos below) was fascinating! (That's a sentence I've never written.) A sweet cook in period costume showed just Earl and me all about the stoves, ovens, pots, pans, places for cleaning fowl and fish, etc. No one else who passed through the kitchen was very interested but we were. She also gave us a piece of her candy she had just made. Now that's what kitchens are for!
We sat on a bench on the terrace by the river and read for awhile, to rest our legs.
While outside, we watched for deer because the house has its own deer park. Darn! We saw no deer but had seen this sign when we came in.
Apparently Will Shakespeare found deer because legend has it he was caught poaching on Sir Lucy's land and even caricatured Sir Lucy as Justice Shallow in The Merry Wives of Windsor.
I forgive you, darling William.
We took the gatehouse tour (below). First picture is the gatehouse itself. The second picture is The Mister and me on top of the gatehouse, with the manor behind us.
BTW, please ignore the horrible blue dot on each of our jackets. You were supposed to wear those stickers but I had the good sense to take MINE off for photos. The Mister thought that would eventually make the sticker fall off (which mine did).
There were meadows of sheep on the land and we wandered around to see them -- but aren't sheep supposed to be all white?
Apparently these are Jacob sheep. But their lambs were adorable!
Lastly, here's a photo (below) that I didn't take but I want to show you the back of the Charlecote manor, a view from across the Avon.
A grand time on The Grand Tour! Thanks for reading and looking at my photos.
Changed my mind about what souvenir I would like from Europe.
ReplyDeleteI would like that lamb.
Sure! I will claim the lamb is my emotional support animal for the flight home.
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